Although at the memagerie he had said nothing more, he had already said too much.

The following day all the talk of the town was of the impending departure of Tartarin for Africa, to shoot lions.
You will bear witness that the good fellow had not breathed a word of this, but you know how it is...

the mirage....

In short the whole of Tarascon could talk of nothing else.
On the pavement, at the club, at Costecalde's shop, people accosted one another with an air of excitement.
"Et autrement, have you heard the latest, au moins ?" "Et autrement, what now, is Tartarin going, au moins ?" For in Tarascon every remark begins with "Et autrement" which is pronounced "autremain" and ends with "au moins" which is pronounced "au mouain" and in these days the sound of "autremain" and "au mouain" was enough to rattle the windows.
The most surprised person in the town to hear that he was leaving for Africa was Tartarin, but now see the effects of vanity.

Instead of replying that he was not going and had never intended to go, poor Tartarin, on the first occasion that the subject was broached adopted a somewhat evasive air, "He!...